A place both close and away from it all

James "Jim" J. Gallen Jr. has shaped a haven for himself and his son, Patrick, from the 1928 Colonial Revival Style house he purchased 15 years ago to serve as a home and office.

It isn't in the country. But the tree-lined street in West Reading where the Gallens live is just as peaceful.

"Living here is as quiet as it is in the country," Jim said, then quickly added, "Well, other than the occasional sound of an ambulance siren or emergency helicopter at nearby Reading Hospital."

He found the sporadic sounds of paramedical response a small trade-off for the home's features, such as office space and a convenient location just outside Reading.

Jim, a financial planner, discovered his present home while looking at a house across the street. He thought the location of the other place was ideal, but the rooms didn't suit his needs. Serendipitously, this house was also available, and even included a former dentist's office with a separate entrance, which was perfect for his business, Gallen Financial Services Ltd.

"I have the best location," he said. "In just 10 minutes, I can be in the country or the city. We are right in the middle of things here. New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and so many other points are easily accessible."

Jim, vice president of West Reading Borough Council, values his location for another reason, too: The Berks-Lancaster region is nationally known as an antiques center. For more than 20 years he has been collecting Victorian- and Edwardian-period furnishings, and many of his best pieces were found locally.

"This area is the antiques mecca of the United States," he said. "We have multiple sources and the best prices."

Jim's collection began with a passion for hurricane oil lamps, often called "Gone With the Wind" lamps. His rooms contain an impressive variety of these delicate lamps with hand-painted glass globes, some of which have been converted for use with electricity. From lamps, he expanded to collect mirrors, furniture, prints and other decorative arts.

Jim believes the early influence of an elderly relative spurred his interest in antiques.

"As a boy, I'd visit my great aunt in Tamaqua," he said. "She had a house full of weird and interesting old stuff."

Other early influences were his parents. Jim's father, James, was a 28-year member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. As public figures, his father and mother, Sara, often entertained guests in their Shillington home. The family's heavy Jacobean Revival dining table was easily expanded with leaves to accommodate the eight Gallen children and frequent visitors.

Today, that same table, which has been refinished, dominates Jim's dining room and is where his guests gather. He researched the heirloom and learned it was crafted in Wales. After searching the area's antique marts, he purchased a sideboard that nearly matches the treasured table.

Despite the enormous size of the pieces, the dining room does not appear cramped due to the clever use of an Eastlake Style pier mirror Jim mounted on one end of the room. The reflection creates the illusion the space is larger than it is.

Mirrors are used creatively throughout the 21/2-story house, including in the parlor. Typical of the home's period and style, this room features a finely crafted mantel accurately based on Colonial models. That doesn't impress Jim. His decorating taste is more in keeping with the Victorian era.

He plans to refurnish the parlor using pieces already in his collection, such as an 1860 divan and French Victorian sofa moved from the former family room. Jim renovated that area into a music room and recording studio for his son Patrick, an accomplished musician and a senior at Exeter Township High School.

"My son has been performing professionally with several classic rock and blues bands since he was 13," Jim said.

A recent addition to Patrick's lair is a one-owner 1962 Hammond B-3 organ Jim found on one of his antiquing trips. The organ originally was purchased at Chiarelli Brothers Music Store at Fourth and Penn streets.

Patrick also enjoys the period recreation room his father decorated in the basement and relaxes there by shooting pool on a handcrafted replica 19th century table. The antique smoking stands and humidor cabinets are just for show and off limits to him. Much of his spare time also is occupied by playing video games or watching television on the large screen, the one nod to modernity Jim has permitted amid the Victoriana and other collectibles.

While Patrick's domain is on the lower levels, Jim's is in the upper stories with the multilevel master-bedroom suite he fashioned in stages. It started when he removed a wall between the home's two largest bedrooms to form one grand bedroom with a cozy sitting area.

Later, he added a spiral staircase from the suite to the third floor and opened the attic by installing a full dormer across the rear eave. The new attic den was given a sense of magic and mystery with hand-painted ceiling murals of planets and stars in the night sky. Jim, who revels in his Irish heritage, also had the walls painted with scenes of natural and historical sites in Ireland.

This is Jim's personal space, a retreat from his office. It is where he escapes to read a book, surf the Internet, watch television or listen to his favorite music. But of course, Patrick is always welcome to climb the spiral stairs. Together, they shut out the rest of the world for some quality father-son bonding.

Michelle Napoletano Lynch is a former editor of the Historical Society of Berks County's Review. She is a partner with Susan Speros in a Berks-based historic preservation and research consulting firm. Contact her at Berksgal@live.com